Page 46 of Unhinged Omega

GEO

Valek's eyes meet mine as he follows Thane out, and the message is crystal clear.

I've just burned that bridge to ash.

Not that I blame him. Drawing on the Ghosts isn't exactly good for maintaining professional relationships.

Well, good fucking riddance.

That's trouble I don't need.

Although whenever Raven is around, I seem to find myself knee-deep in it anyway.

Speaking of trouble, I glance over at my current headache and notice he's gone completely still. Like someone hit his off switch the moment Thane dropped Nikolai's name. His usual manic energy has drained away, leaving behind something I've only seen once before.

Raw fear.

As much as I hate to admit it, a part of me is relieved. The threat of another encounter with Nikolai might be the only thing that could deter this idiot from his suicide quest.

"Raven," I say, trying to snap him out of it. No response. Not even a blink. "Hey. Earth to the fop."

Nothing.

Fuck it.

I haul back and slap him across his perfect face. Hard enough to leave a mark, but not hard enough to break anything. The sound echoes through the empty room like a gunshot.

That does it.

His head snaps up, those blue eyes finally focusing as he glowers at me. "Myface?" he demands, touching his reddening cheek. "Did it have to be my fuckingface?"

"Wasn't gonna be your ass," I mutter, already heading for the door. "Come on, let's go."

Through the grimy windows, I catch sight of the "civilians" watching us. Their pristine clothes and perfect posture screams Surhiiran guards undercover. This whole place is a paper town. Wouldn't be surprised if the Ghosts had it polished and set up for this very occasion.

To my surprise, he actually follows me without argument. The silence continues as we climb into the SUV, and it stretches on as we pull away from the creepy little town. Hours pass, and still nothing from the man who usually can't stay quiet for more than thirty seconds.

I find myself glancing over at him every now and again, just to see if he's dead, which I always thought was the one thing that could shut him up. He just stares out the window, lost in whatever dark thoughts are plaguing him. His profile is harsh in the dying light, all sharp angles and melancholy.

Kid missed his calling not being one of those pretentious assholes who sit in a tower of archived books salvaged from the old world, writing flowery poetry to girls on the side. He's got too much going on inside his head to be cut out for this shit.

I can't believe I'm thinking this, but I actually prefer when he's being a royal pain in my ass. By the time he finally speaks, we've already passed a shoddy stop sign marked "Belvast" in white paint.

"You can drop me here," he says, his voice rough from disuse. Guess he doesn't usually go this long without filling the silence. "I'll pick up a ride the rest of the way."

I slow the SUV to a stop, confusion gnawing at me. I'd assumed he'd be hanging around until I kicked him out. Which I don't have the heart to do right now, not when he looks like someone just gutted him with a spoon.

"You sure you don't wanna come back to the market?" I ask, trying to keep my tone gruff and failing. "You can hang around and torture the assholes who harass the strippers like old times."

A ghost of his usual smirk flickers across his face, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "As tempting as that sounds, I've got my work cut out for me."

"Doing what?" I ask warily as he gathers his gear from the back, dread settling in my gut like a lead weight. "What exactly are you planning?"

"It'll take me a while to track down his current base," Raven says, slinging his pack over his shoulder as soon as he gets out of the SUV. "That paranoid son of a bitch never stays in one place more than a few months."

It's probablynotparanoid, considering how many people want to kill him—me included—but I keep that to myself.

"Fuck." I'm out of the car before I realize I've moved. I grab his arm, but instead of yanking away from me with a dramatic flail like I would've expected, he just stands there. "You can't be serious. You're willing to cross paths with Nikolai again for some omega you don't even know?"

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